The entire floor fell into a suffocating silence.
Every employee, every assistant, every voice that had been chatting or working a moment ago—froze. They turned, eyes wide, as Alaric Nile, one of the most influential tenants of the Cinder Square, stood face-to-face with a man they now realized held far more power than him.
The man they'd just seen greeted as Chairman.
Alaric's mistake was hanging in the air like a blade.
Then footsteps echoed—Manager Mac arrived, his expression sharp.
"What's happening here?" he demanded, voice firm. "Mr. Nile, I told you to wait in the guest lounge. The owner has only just arrived—"
Alaric scoffed, not even glancing at Mac. "In that case, you should throw this idiot out immediately," he snapped, pointing at Miles without even acknowledging who he was. "And let me make it very clear—if you so much as think about giving him a single floor, my company will vacate this building. Today."
A slow, cold shift took place.
